Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic
About this race
Welcome to Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic!
Le Grand du Nord is one of the most spectacular gravel courses in the United States. Beginning in downtown Grand Marais, riders will quickly leave the shores of Lake Superior as they head into the Sawtooth Range. The first few miles for all routes are paved as you leave town and get set for each course. Soon you will be in the heart of Minnesota's north country wilds. Forests of white and red pines, aspens and birch. No gas stations, no corn fields. The solitude and scenery are beautiful. You may be lucky enough to spot a moose or see wolf tracks along side your tire tracks. Finish your course with a breathtaking views of Lake Superior as you fly back down into Grand Marais. Welcome to Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic.
110 Mile: With 6000 ft of climbing and a decidedly remote feel, the 110 mile course is unlike any other gravel century. Most of the course is well maintained Forest Service and county gravel road. There is a 5 mile section of especially rough, rocky two track with a likely stream crossing (depending on the weather and local beaver activity.)
54 Mile: 2600 ft of climbing. The same remote feel as the 110 miler. Mostly well maintained Forest Service and county gravel road. Hilly but there are no two track/B-Road sections. One of my favorite routes of all time.
26 Mile: 1700 ft of climbing. Though shorter, it does have significant climbing. The route is a mix of pavement leaving and entering Grand Marais with well maintained Forest Service and county gravel road for the majority of the course. There are no two track or trail sections.
We recommend bicycles that can fit tires 35-45 mm wide.
Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic is a great way to start your Spring season. Grand Marais is also one of the most beautiful towns in Minnesota. The harbor and views from downtown and the Sawtooth Range are spectacular. Walk from the Le Grand Tent to shop and eat.
New for 2026! Consider partaking in two new cycling series in Minnesota. Gravel 'Sota is a state wide series and features the best grassroots events in Minnesota. The Aurora Boreal Cycling Series highlights Northeast Minnesota's eclectic and amazing events in particular. Check them out to explore new races and have some fun with friendly points competitions, too.
We welcome back our amazing Sponsors and partners. Thank you!
Ride the Good Line!
Pick your distance
Gravel biking
Le Grand 110 Mile
Welcome to the 2026 Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic! 110 Mile: With 6000 ft of climbing and a decidedly remote feel, the 110 mile course is unlike any other gravel century. Most of the course is well maintained Forest Service and county gravel road. There is a 5 mile section of especially rough, rocky two track with a likely stream crossing (depending on the weather and local beaver activity.) Thank you for bringing your Graveleer spirit to the event. We welcome all and encourage you to be respectful visitors to this amazing community of Grand Marais. And please say hello to someone new during the weekend. Who knows, maybe it's their first rodeo. Thank you! You may change your event distance until May 1. You are responsible to know: No refunds, no transfers to next year. You may transfer to another person to take your place at the 2026 Le Grand du Nord only. This event is challenging. You may have to walk. There may be route changes due to extreme weather events or unforeseen road closures. You are sharing the road with other cars, UTV's, pedestrians and equestrians. You ARE NOT entitled to the whole road. Please ride far right. We ask that you are courteous to other local users and participants. If we find out that you are not sharing the road or are otherwise being unfriendly, you WILL NOT be welcomed back to future Heck of the North Productions events. No questions asked. Helmets are required. Please contact me with questions. jeremybkershaw@gmail.com Please follow our Cadence journal site for regular posts on all things gravel cycling. Thank you and Ride the Good Line!
Le Grand 54 Mile
Welcome to the 2026 Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic! 54 Mile: 2600 ft of climbing. The same remote feel as the 110 miler. Mostly well maintained Forest Service and county gravel road. Hilly but there are no two track/B-Road sections. One of my favorite routes of all time. Thank you for bringing your Graveleer spirit to the event. We welcome all and encourage you to be respectful visitors to this amazing community of Grand Marais. And please say hello to someone new during the weekend. Who knows, maybe it's their first rodeo. Thank you! You may change your distance until May 1. You are responsible to know: No refunds, no transfers to next year. You may transfer to another person to take your place at the 2026 Le Grand du Nord only. This event is challenging. You may have to walk. There may be route changes due to extreme weather events or unforeseen road closures. You are sharing the road with other cars, UTV's, pedestrians and equestrians. You ARE NOT entitled to the whole road. Please ride far right. We ask that you are courteous to other local users and participants. If we find out that you are not sharing the road or are otherwise being unfriendly, you WILL NOT be welcomed back to future Heck of the North Productions events. No questions asked. Helmets are required. Please contact me with questions. jeremybkershaw@gmail.com Please follow our Cadence journal site for regular posts on all things gravel cycling. Thank you and Ride the Good Line!
Le Grand 26 Mile
Welcome to the 2026 Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic! 26 Mile: 1700 ft of climbing. Though shorter, it does have significant climbing. The route is a mix of pavement leaving and entering Grand Marais with well maintained Forest Service and county gravel road for the majority of the course. There are no two track or trail sections. Thank you for bringing your Graveleer spirit to the event. We welcome all and encourage you to be respectful visitors to this amazing community of Grand Marais. And please say hello to someone new during the weekend. Who knows, maybe it's their first rodeo. Thank you! You may change your distance until May 1. You are responsible to know: No refunds, no transfers to next year. You may transfer to another person to take your place at the 2026 Le Grand du Nord only. This event is challenging. You may have to walk. There may be route changes due to extreme weather events or unforeseen road closures. You are sharing the road with other cars, UTV's, pedestrians and equestrians. You ARE NOT entitled to the whole road. Please ride far right. We ask that you are courteous to other local users and participants. If we find out that you are not sharing the road or are otherwise being unfriendly, you WILL NOT be welcomed back to future Heck of the North Productions events. No questions asked. Helmets are required. Please contact me with questions. jeremybkershaw@gmail.com Please follow our Cadence journal site for regular posts on all things gravel cycling. Thank you and Ride the Good Line!
Typical race-day weather
Based on 2 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Grand Marais, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 5:13 AM and sets at 8:42 PM local time (CDT) in Grand Marais on May 23, 2026 — 15h 28m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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2026 results — Le Grand du Nord Gravel Classic
578 finishers across 3 distances · leading places in the Le Grand 110 Mile
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Thillen | 2:41:23 | 1:37 /mi |
| 2 | Nick Nygaard | 2:41:34 | 1:37 /mi |
| 3 | NATHAN GIESKE | 2:43:34 | 1:38 /mi |
| 4 | Chris Marsden | 2:48:19 | 1:41 /mi |
| 5 | Luke Zupan | 2:48:20 | 1:41 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 2 Grand Marais events
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